Spotlight on Boys

Resources for Parents and Caregivers of Boys

Recent popular magazines such as Time have addressed the issue of whether education and society are failing boys or if boys are doing well. Similarly, in the world of libraries and education, journals like School Library Journal have concentrated on topics such as gender differences in education, reading ability and motivation.

During the month of October, check out the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's Birth to Six site for recommended picture books and resources for little boys. Visit us at this blog again soon for additional resources and fun ideas!

Here are just a few online resources and books to look for at the Library that discuss the topic in more detail:

• Boys Adrift: Five Factors Driving the Growing Epidemic of Unmotivated Boys and Underachieving Young Men by Leonard Sax


• "The Boy Problem." Sax, Leonard. School Library Journal, September 2007, pp. 40-43. www.slj.com


• "The Boys Are All Right." Von Drehle, David. Time, August 6, 2007, vol. 170, Issue 6, pp.38-47. Access full-text through our online databases.


• Boys and Literacy: Practical Strategies for Librarians, Teachers, and Parents by Elizabeth Knowles and Martha Smith


• Guys Read. Author Jon Scieszka's website devoted to great books for guys of all ages!


• Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv


• The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in School and Life by Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens


• Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph
• Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon


• "Reclaiming Kindergarten: Making Kindergarten Less Harmful to Boys." Sax, Leonard. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 2001, vol. 2, pp. 3-12. www.boysadrift.com


• Teaching the Male Brain: How Boys Think, Feel, and Learn in School and Life by Abigail Norfleet James


• The Wonder of Boys: What Parents, Mentors, and Educators Can Do to Shape Boys into Excellent Men by Michael Gurian


• Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Leonard Sax


• "Why Johnny Won't Read." Bauerlin, Mark, and Sandra Stotsky. Washington Post, January 25, 2005. Access online here.